Over the last year I found wonderful books that have entertained, expanded my mind and my reading world. Over the Christmas & New Year break you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to be ensconced with another few.

My recommendations?

For an amusing, sweet, tucked in a blanket by a cosy radiator fire book;

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Mary Anne Shaffer & Annie Barrows It’s a soft, charming, sad and funny book about London, Guernsey and WW2, and once you open it, you will struggle to put it down.

The Language of Flowers: Vanessa Diffenbaugh A story about a about a girl in care, whose Mother gave her up as an orphan, the profound difference a foster mother and the surprising difference the Victorian Language of Flowers made to her life.

The Snow Child: Eowyn Ivey Based around a Husband and Wife in Alaska in the 1920s, a stark unforgiving landscape on which their relationship and need for a child is laid bare.

The Night Circus: Erin Morgenstern  I simply couldn’t put this down. It was fascinating, captivating, mysterious and funny. Two magicians are training apprentices, and have set the circus as a playing field for the apprentices, in a duel that, unknown to the duellists is one to the death.

For a tummy rumbling, senses teasing book that launches you into the kitchen to whip up a feast in a frenzy;

The Flavour Thesaurus: Niki Segnit A mixture of taste pairing information, science, experience and a few recipes accompanied by some lovely memories and restaurant recommendations. You could just read it cover to cover, forget the Foodie side!

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: Jodi Picoult Rose Edelstein, a seemingly normal girl discovers her ‘gift’ at the tender age of nine – the ability to taste the feelings of the people who make the food she eats.

The Ginger Pig Meat Book: Tim Wilson & Fran Warde Intended to be a reference book explaining buying, preparing and cooking meat,
it’s also recipe book filled to the brim with tantalising recipes.

Gumbo Tales: Sara Roahen This is a riotous food tour of New Orleans – it makes me want to dash to the airport, get on the next plane for America, and
sit on a veranda with a Sazerac in one hand and an Oyster Po-Boy in the other.

For London based adventuring that will have you leaping to book a flight/train/tube/bus ticket;

ANY of the Rivers of London series: Ben Aaronovitch – Bewitching novels about a policeman delving into the supernatural side of London. Rivers of London / Moon over Soho / Whispers Underground / Broken homes

Call the Midwife: Jennifer Worth The heartfelt stories within in this memoir make you yearn a little to be a
Cockney Sparra.

The Kings Speech: Mark Logue & Peter Conradi The story of King George VI, his speech impediment and an Aussie called Lionel Logue.

Neverwhere: Neil Gaiman Richard Mayhew has a good life. A good job, a nice fiancee, a nice apartment. Then everything becomes a little existential beneath the London Pavements.What exactly is under the streets of London?

The Infernal Devices: Cassandra Clare A prequel written to the best selling ‘Mortal Instruments’ series involving London, magic, warriors, great literature and the supernatural with a tumultuous end to a fascinating series.

A Street Cat named Bob: James Bowen Now an international print success, Bob is a street cat that adopted a
recovering drug addict and helped turn his life around.

Oh, and anything, anything at all by Terry Pratchett.

I would LOVE any suggestions for my festive Reading list – I’m planning on going into hibernating from the Winter cold, only coming out for Afternoon Tea and good Flat Whites. What was your favourite book of the year?

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